Politics & Government

Baltimore Beltway Lane Near Essex to Close Sunday

The Maryland State Highway Administration will begin a $6 million slope repair and repaving project June 23, weather permitting.

The potential of thunderstorms Sunday postponed a lane closure on the Baltimore Beltway near MD 702, but only for a week.

"The lane closure did not happen Sunday because of the threat of thunderstorms, and we are tentatively aiming for the work to begin next Sunday," Maryland State Highway Administration spokesman Charlie Gischlar said Monday.

The $6 million slope repair and repaving project will now start June 23, weather-permitting, Gischlar said.

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The highway administration will start the repairs on the roadside slope adjacent to the outer loop of I-695 approaching exit 36 (MD 702), according to a press release from the department.

Northbound traffic on the beltway approaching MD 702 will be shifted to the right, with two lanes still available to traffic prior to the I-695/MD 702 split, according to the statement.

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As motorists approach the split, those in the left lane can continue on I-695 toward Towson; those in the right lane must exit onto MD 702, according to the statement.

Officials strongly urge motorists who want to stay on the beltway but are traveling in the right lane to exit onto MD 702 instead of trying to abruptly veer left to continue on the beltway.

"Drivers will be able to return to I-695 by continuing on MD 702, traveling to the MD 702/MD 150 interchange and heading back north on MD 702 toward I-695," officials said in the statement,  "Although this may take extra time, it is the safest way to return to the Beltway and will reduce delays on I-695."

Officials recommend that commuters use alternative routes, such as MD 150, to avoid delays during peak travel times.

Crews will stabilize a slope that has badly eroded over the past several years, according to Gischlar.

"There's been so much water over the past couple of years, the erosion was bad and our engineers said we really had to do something about it," the spokesman said.

The left shoulder of the beltway is eroding and if left unprepared, the erosion could begin to affect the travel lanes, according the statement.

Once the slope is repaired, crews will patch and resurface the outer loop of the beltway between MD 150 (exit 38) and MD 7 (exit 34), according to officials. The contractor for the $6 million project is Gray and Son Inc. of Timonium.

The work is expected to be completed by the end of August, weather-permitting.


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